Grilled Shrimp Panzanella Salad

Black-Capped Chickadee

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Savor the summer days and nights by dining al fresco and grilling. Advance prep for this meal makes grilling easier. 
The infused flavors of a panzanella salad (posted June 18th) pair nicely with grilled shrimp and vegetables.

Grilled Shrimp Panzanella with Asparagus

Cook's notes: This recipe works well because it takes advantage of the plentiful produce available from summer gardens and/or farmer's market. Roma tomatoes are firmer and hold up better for grilling than regular tomatoes. Space out shrimp on metal skewers or bamboo skewers that have been soaked in water 30 minutes. 
Serves 4 as a main meal or serves 6 as a side.  

Ingredients:

Salad

• 1 lb. uncooked large shrimp with tails
• 2-1/2 cups ciabatta bread or another type of rustic bread cut into two inch pieces
• 1 bunch of asparagus spears (woody stems removed)
• 1 small zucchini cut in 2 inch pieces
• 6-8 Roma tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 lemon, sliced
• 1/2 cup each red and yellow sweet peppers, diced in 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 cups mixed greens

Dressing

• 1/2 cup extra light olive oil
• 6 TB. high quality balsamic vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp. each dried parsley flakes, oregano and thyme

Directions:

• Mix dressing ingredients in a blender or a jar with a screw top lid. 
• Divide the dressing in thirds. Brush 1/3 of the balsamic dressing on bread cubes and 1/3 on the shrimp. Reserve the other 1/3 for salad.
• Lightly grease grill grates.
• Toast bread cubes directly on grill grates 2 minutes a side and with tongs turn over. Set aside.
• Crimp up sides of a large piece of foil. Place on foil asparagus, peppers,  zucchini, and lemon slices, drizzle with a little olive oil and cook about 20 minutes. Add in tomatoes the last 10 minutes of cooking time.  
• Grill shrimp about 4 minutes a side.
• Cut each bread cube in half. 
• In a large bowl add grilled vegetables, toasted bread cubes, fresh basil, fresh parsely and mixed greens. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss salad with remaining reserved 1/3 balsamic dressing. 
• Top salad with grilled shrimp.

A Silky Slide 

to easily remove the excess silk strands from fresh corn, wrap a large rubber band around your fingers. Then rub it against the corn kernels. The silk gets trapped in the rubber band, leaving behind a clean ear of corn.